


The Father, Son, and Holy Dog

by cheeky_blinders



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: I'm doing a thing, It's gonna be a while, Like, M/M, Modern Day, Single!dad Tommy, Single!dog!Dad Alfie, Slow Burn, Tommy struggling a bit with his sexuality, cause why not?, hey look, really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22410817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheeky_blinders/pseuds/cheeky_blinders
Summary: Tommy is a single father to a small child named Charlie. Alfie is a single father to a rather large dog named Cyril. Naturally, the two meet and afterward, Charlie begs to see Cyril and Alfie again. What is Tommy suppose to do but to see the dog and his odd owner again?
Relationships: Thomas Shelby x Alfie Solomons, Thomas Shelby/Alfie Solomons, Tommy Shelby x Alfie Solomons, Tommy Shelby/Alfie Solomons
Comments: 46
Kudos: 213





	1. Chapter One

“Don’t let go of my hand until we’ve crossed to the other side,” Thomas advised his son as they waited for the crosswalk sign to turn blue. If his son heard him, he paid his father no mind and instead proceeded to fidget. If Tommy didn’t know better, he would say that his son would explode from excitement.

Which didn’t make much sense seeing how they were just going to a playground. 

The sign changed color and Tommy was forced to keep a tight hold of his son’s hand as they crossed the road. Once they had reached the playground, Charlie was off before Tommy had a chance to even utter a word. At least the boy would be getting his energy out which would make it easier tonight putting him to bed.

Finding an empty bench, Tommy watched his son climb up the play structure and down the slide. While some parents might take these moments to relax, perhaps check their phones, Tommy’s eyes stayed focused on his son. Ever since Grace had died two years past, Charlie had become the most important thing in Tommy’s life and he placed his son above all else in the world.

Charlie was content to play by himself and had learned well how to occupy himself without others. Thomas could not imagine having another child. Charlie was not a wild child, per se, but he did have a lot of energy which led to difficulties in school, especially with focusing and sitting still for more than five minutes. His teachers had suggested getting Charlie tested for ADHD but Tommy had hesitated. While he was not opposed to having his son tested...what if their solution was medicine?

That was a problem for later. Charlie was on summer break and school was the last thing on his mind.

Gradually other people began to arrive, also wishing to enjoy the warm summer day. A few people arrived with their dogs as well and Thomas watched the dogs for a few moments before turning his attention back to Charlie. Where...was he? Tommy’s eyes scanned the playground before spotting his son, rushing off towards a large man and an even larger dog. Cursing, Tommy was up on his feet in a blink of an eye and headed off after his son.

He managed to catch Charlie right before the boy reached the dog, swooping in and picking him up. “Charlie, no.” Thomas scolded his son with a frown as he balanced the boy on his waist. “You do not just run up to dogs like that.”

“It’s alright, he’s a big baby this one.” Thomas glanced over to the man who had just spoken. He was indeed rather large with a bushy beard that covered a majority of his face. The dog was sitting at the man’s feet, tongue hanging out of his mouth, tail thumping on the ground.

“I wanna pet ‘im!” Charlie said, reaching out and wiggling in his father’s arms in an attempt to get down.

“Charlie, he’s a big dog, not to mention that-”

“It’s alright.” The man piped up, leading to a cry of glee from Charlie. The boy wiggled his way out of Tommy’s grasp and raced to the dog. Perking up, the dog watched the boy come close before sniffing him for a second. Deciding that the child was safe enough, the dog promptly rolled onto his back, much to the delight of his son.

“What’s his name!?” Charlie asked as he began to scratch feverishly at the dog’s stomach, the thumping of the tail growing louder. 

“That, my friend, is Cyril. Big old baby, he is, just like I said, eh?” 

“Hi, Cyril! I’m Charlie Shelby and that’s my daddy and we live on Portobello road and-”

“Alright, Charlie, that’s enough. Don’t need to tell the dog every little thing about us.” Tommy interjected before his son could recite their full address or phone number or whatever else the boy had memorized. 

“Can I play with him? Does he like balls? What ‘bout a stick? Oh, can I go find him the perfect stick!?” Before the man had a chance to properly respond, Charlie was up and running but this time Cyril followed the boy. Tommy swore softly as he watched his son head to the edge of the park by the woods.

“I’m sorry about that,” Tommy commented then, glancing over at the owner of the dog. “He...isn’t the best at waiting.”

“Seems bloody awful to me.” Thomas had to laugh and had to shrug in agreement. It certainly was the truth. “It’s fine though. Allows for Cyril to actually run about and get tired, something that never fucking happens. I swear I take him on a long massive walk and the brute gets tired, sleeps for half an hour and then is up and ready to go once more. I’m just like, ye cunt.”

“That’s what it’s like with Charlie. Never a day or moment really of peace.” Tommy glanced over at the man for a moment before turning his attention back to watching his son. 

“Alfie Solomons.” The man announced then and Tommy turned to shake his hand, introducing himself in return. The two then returned their attention back to the dog and child. “They’ll probably be a while,” Alfie commented. “Why don’t we go sit, eh?”

“No, I’ll stay here,” Thomas responded, glancing over at the nearest bench which would have put him too far from Charlie for his liking. Alfie watched Tommy for a moment before groaning (quite dramatically) and took a seat on the grass, patting the spot next to him. Unsure of what else to do, Tommy sat next to Alfie, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on his knee caps.

“Me fuckin’ back is going to hate me for this. And my knees. Fuckin’ hell, I sound like I’ve got the body of some old hen or somethin’ with the amount of cracking I do. And it’s only summer, just wait till winter.” Tommy wasn’t quite sure why this man was informing him about these health problems but nodded silently instead. “You know, I’ve had that damn animal since he was a puppy, I did. Found him wanderin’ the bloody streets one night. Literally almost stepped on him cause he was so fuckin’ small. Took ‘im home and was goin’ to bring him to a shelter but couldn’t bring me self to do it. What about you, eh? How’d you get yours?” 

“Mine?”

“Yeah, mate. Yours.”

“Mine...what?”

“Your kid.” Tommy blinked for a few moments before clearing his throat. Bit of an odd question to ask he supposed. 

“Oh, well, my wife and I had Charlie ‘bout six years ago,” Tommy answered as he pulled out a packet of nicotine gum, popping a few pieces. He caught Alfie watching. “Tryin’ to quit the habit of smoking.” 

“Aye, nasty stuff. Never touched it. You married?”

“Not anymore. Wife died, two years ago.”

“Ah, that’s a pity.”

“Aye, it is.” Tommy fell silent and thankfully Alfie did too, the two watching the scene play out before them. Charlie was holding a rather massive stick that he was running with and Cyril was racing after him, trying to snatch the stick. “You sure he won’t bite Charlie?” Tommy asked.

“Aye, he won’t. Dog’s gentle a fly though he’s as annoying as one. He’s good with everyone. Tried to train him as a watchdog but that clearly backfired...you always worry this much about your son?” Tommy’s eyebrows furrowed together in question. “I mean, tellin’ him not to run up to dogs and ask before pettin’, that was smart. But you prefer to sit on the ground so you can see your son rather than sit on a fucking bench. And you keep askin’ questions about Cyril being gentle.”

“Can you blame me?” Tommy scoffed. “He’s a random dog and you’re a stranger in a park. You could be anybody.”

“But I’m not anybody. I’m Alfie.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” A smirk broke out underneath Alfie’s beard. “It’s hard being a single parent, that’s all,” Tommy muttered then. 

“It’s hard bein’ a single parent to a dog.” Thomas scoffed.

“I believe that’s a bit of a different situation.”

“How so?” Tommy didn’t have time to properly answer before Charlie came racing over, screaming for the world to hear that he needed the potty now. Taking that as their cue to leave, Tommy nodded goodbye to Alfie and Charlie waved before the two left. “He’s a strange little thing,” Alfie muttered to Cyril who had collapsed onto the ground with a huff. At least one of them was tired. 

The only thing that Charlie talked about that night was Cyril. It was Cyril this, Cyril that until Tommy swore his head would explode. Charlie begged and begged for Tommy to figure out what kind of dog Cyril was. He eventually caved in and sitting at the kitchen table, Thomas typed various keywords into the search engine while Charlie watched from over his shoulder. When they finally found the breed, Charlie declared that this was now his favorite dog breed ever. 

Tommy was sure that the talk of Cyril would die out over the next few days but if anything, it grew stronger. The day after the park, Polly had taken Charlie to the library. The boy had come home with books all about...dogs. And naturally, went the weekend came around, Charlie wanted to go to the park.

So back to the park they went.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Alfie meet once more in the park and Tommy discovers, later on, he can’t stop thinking about Alfie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your feedback <3 <3

They did not have to wait long before Alfie and Cyril arrived. The man spotted the other two and led the way over with Cyril trotting next to him, pausing here and there to sniff at some grass or a tree. This time, Tommy kept a firm grasp on Charlie’s hand to keep the boy from rushing over. “Remember what you learned about approaching a dog, Charlie.” Tommy reminded his son but it was like talking to a brick wall. Charlie was too excited to listen.

“Hi!” Charlie chirped as he was finally allowed to greet Cyril. “Guess what?” Alfie didn’t get a chance to guess. “I learned all ‘bout dogs cause we went to the library and got tons of books. Well, me and my aunt Polly cause Daddy had to work which is stupid cause it’s summer.” Alfie seemed unphased by Charlie’s quirky manner and instead knelt down, letting Cyril off his lead.

“Oh yeah, tell me what you learned then, eh?” Alfie sat on the grass, leaving Tommy no choice but to do the same. Once Charlie was situated in his father’s lap, he launched into everything he could remember having learned. He began to tell Alfie how to approach a dog and even showed the man the proper actions, correcting Alfie on how to hold his hand properly (it can’t be above Cyril’s head cause he might think you’re tryin’ to hurt him or somthin’ and that wouldn’t be good). He also told Alfie about the reading he had done on Cyril’s breed, rattling off facts left and right. To his credit, Alfie listened with intense fascination and even Tommy couldn’t tell if the man was faking it or if he really was interested to hear what this tiny 6-year-old boy had to say.

Alfie didn’t seem to mind Charlie’s rambles or how scattered the boy’s thoughts were, bouncing from one thing to another only to jump back to the original thought. Occasionally Thomas spoke up, reminding his son to take a deep breath and slow down his words. 

“Everyone’s always telling me that,” Charlie commented to Alfie as he scratched Cyril’s ears. “That I gotta slow down. It’s hard though.” He shrugged before moving his hand to Cyril’s neck for some more scratches.

“Well, why don’t you and Cyril go get some of your energy out, eh?” Alfie suggested. “He was quite tired when we got home the other day so I need you to do that for me again, alright?” Charlie did not need any more encouragement than that and ran off, calling Cyril after him. The dog did not even glance back at Alfie before bounding off after the boy.

“Charlie did sleep quite well after that other day of running around,” Tommy commented as he watched Charlie search the ground for a few moments before finding the perfect stick for Cyril. “It was much needed for him…and you’re sure that Cyril won’t hurt him?”

“It must’ve been nice for you, I imagine and yes, I’m fucking sure he won’t hurt a hair on that kid’s head.” Alfie stretched out his legs, leaning back on his palms. “Now, if I recall, we were talking about how ownin’ a dog is like havin’ a kid.”

“Good memory.” Though, to his credit…Tommy did remember the conversation, having been thinking about it rather frequently during the week. “I believe you were about to tell me why?” Tommy shifted himself into the same position as Alfie, letting his fingers run through the soft grass though his eyes followed Charlie.

“Aye, yes, I was. Now, ye see here, dogs are also fuckin’ complicated. Might not have to change a diaper for them but you still gotta pick up their fucking shit. Even worse if it’s all just that liquid shit. Still gotta feed them and water them. And walk ‘em no matter how fuckin’ cold it is. And lemme tell you, Cyril’s a fucking picky pooper! I’m serious!” Alfie announced as he saw Tommy trying to hold in some laughter. “He’ll take forever to find just the perfect poop spot, yeah, and then gets fucking distracted! By something so incredibly fuckin’ stupid like a tree!” At this point, Thomas’ shoulders were shaking just a tad from the force it took to hold in his laugh. 

“Alright, so you got me there,” Tommy admitted as he managed to get ahold of himself. “But you don’t have to pay for clothes. Or an education.”

“Aye, but I have to pay for vet bills and you don’t. And I do have to teach the damn a few things. And toys! Gotta buy him those.”

“I have to buy books.”

“You can technically borrow ‘em from the library.”

“Hmm…but Charlie gets sick and I have to stay home and take care of him.”

“I do the same.”

“Do you hold him when he cries when getting a shot?”

“Yup. Big chicken he is.” The two men looked at each other and when their eyes met, Alfie grinned and Tommy found himself unable to hold back a smile. The two of them continued their little “debate” for a bit longer before Alfie finally agreed that having a child was a tad harder than owning a dog. Just a tad. 

By the time they finished, Charlie had grown tired and had made his way back to the two. “Getting tired?” Tommy asked as Charlie plopped himself into his father’s lap with an ooff. “Perhaps we should get going home then.”

“No!” Charlie’s tone suggested this was perhaps the worst thing he had ever heard and he was up in a second, his head knocking into Tommy’s jaw, causing Thomas to bite down hard on his tongue. Tommy couldn’t stop a curse slipping from his lips as the taste of iron filled his mouth. Turning his head to the side, Tommy spat out blood, unable to stop his nose from scrunching up in distaste. He groaned, watching Charlie rush off again with Cyril tailing behind him once more. 

Reaching into Charlie’s bag that Tommy had brought, he groped around for tissues and groaned when he had no luck. “Here.” Alfie handed Tommy a few crumpled tissues and well, seeing that Tommy had no other choice, he took them. “Lemme see,” Alfie said, taking Tommy’s face in his hands. “Stick out your tongue.”

“I’m not sticking out my tongue!” 

“Do it.” Tommy spat more blood out of his mouth.

“No, I just bit my tongue, Alfie!”

“Then why is your lip bleeding too?” Tommy reached up a hand to feel a steady trickle of blood sliding down his chin. Giving up, Tommy allowed Alfie to wipe the blood from his chin though he refused to stick his tongue out. Alfie’s skin was calloused but Thomas found himself not minding that and in fact, found it rather…soothing. Alfie finished wiping the blood from Tommy’s chin and handed him the tissues to stop the bleeding on his tongue. Once Alfie’s touch disappeared, Tommy wished it hadn’t.

The two sat there in silence as Tommy applied pressure to his tongue for a few minutes before switching to his chin. That boy would be the death of him, Tommy swore. At this rate, he’d be completely gray by the time he was forty.

“How old’s Charlie?” Alfie’s voice broke through Tommy’s thoughts and it took him a moment to regroup himself. 

“He’s 7…well, six but he’s turning seven in a month or so.”

“So…going into his second year then?”

“Aye.”

“Does he like it?” Tommy huffed with amusement, shaking his head. Taking the tissues from his face and tongue, he spoke.

“No, he hates it. Struggles a lot with…well, everything. Reading, writing, math. Kid can’t sit still for more than five minutes.” Tommy gestured with his head to Charlie running about, arms stretched out like an airplane. Alfie too watched the boy for a few moments before continuing the conversation.

“I don’t blame him. I was like that when I was in school. It’s hard shit they put those kids through. They should be out gettin’ fresh air in their lungs, not shut up in some room with a crabby old bitch who died 200 years ago or some shit.” Tommy gave a helpless shrug. There was nothing he could really do about it. 

Checking the time, Tommy was rather astonished to see that they had been at the park for nearly two hours. “We should get going,” Tommy announced as he began to gather up their things.

“So soon?” Alfie asked, sitting up properly to watch Tommy pack. “It looks like those rascals still have energy.” 

“Yeah, and they could probably be running around all day if we let them but I need to get Charlie home and changed. We have a family dinner tonight that we have to go to.” The bitterness in Tommy’s voice made Alfie raise a questioning eyebrow but when Thomas saw the look, he just waved the question aside. He called for Charlie and the boy came rushing over, covered in grass and mud. “Say goodbye, Charlie. We need to get going.”

“How’d the hell you’d get so dirty?” Alfie asked as he stood with a soft groan, knees cracking. He received no answer.

“Bye!” The boy exclaimed, throwing his arms around Cyril to hug the dog’s neck tightly before moving onto Alfie, hugging him the best he could despite the man towering about the child. “Daddy, when can we see Cyril next?”

“I don’t know, Charlie. Perhaps another day we’ll run into each other. Come on now, we need to get going.” 

“Get his phone number, Daddy!” Charlie pestered, refusing to move his feet. “Please!” He added when he saw the stern look his father gave him. Thomas looked at Alfie who gave a shrug and the two exchanged numbers.

Tommy said goodbye to Alfie and took his son’s hand, leading him away. Charlie ended up needing a bath which surprisingly went smoothly enough (in the sense Charlie did not put up a fight getting in or out of the tub). Once cleaned, Tommy left Charlie to get dressed so he could take a quick shower. When he finished and dressed, Tommy went into Charlie’s room to find the boy sitting naked on the floor, looking at one of his many dog books.

“Charlie?” Tommy asked with a groan, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a sigh. They were going to be late at this point which Thomas did not care about except for the fact that Polly would give him that look and well… “Aren’t you suppose to be doing something?” Charlie glanced up at his father before slowly closing the book.

“Yes…” The boy admitted before going over to his dresser to find clothes. “But I wanted to find out more ‘bout dogs. What does it mean when a dog goes into heat?”

Thomas groaned.

Eventually, they did make it to Polly’s and as Thomas expected, he got the look from his aunt. Other members of the family were there and it seemed that it would be a full house tonight. At dinner that night, it was all Charlie was talking about which allowed Tommy to allow his thoughts to travel.

Sitting at the table, surrounded by the familiar faces of his brothers, their wives, and numerous children…Thomas found himself feeling a tad bit…he was not quite sure what the feeling was. Perhaps it was a tad bit of loneliness? John had Esme, Arthur had Linda…Polly had Michael…Ada had brought along her girlfriend, Jessie Eden so even Ada had somebody. Thomas was alone.

Thomas’ thoughts continued to shift back to Alfie however. What was he doing tonight? Was he having dinner at home? Out with friends? Out with…someone? He also thought about the man himself. The color of Alfie’s eyes…they were a mixture of sea green and dark blue that seemed to dance when Alfie smiled…or the warmth of Alfie’s touch on Thomas’ chin, wiping away the blood. All his mind could think about was Alfie.

Why though? They had had a pleasant enough time, nothing had gone wrong. And yet…why did these thoughts linger?


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Alfie meet once more in the park and eventually, Tommy gets Alfie's number.

Once more, when the next weekend came about, father and son traveled to the park. The sun was high in the sky by the time they reached Alfie and Cyril who were sitting on a bench beneath the shade of an ancient oak tree. Cyril was the first to spot them and bolted out from under the bench where he had been laying, speeding over to greet Charlie and Thomas. Alfie didn't move from his spot, waiting instead for Thomas to take a seat next to him before addressing the man. Before the two had the chance to say anything more than a simple hello to one another, Charlie was begging to take Cyril for a walk. Glancing over at Tommy who gave a shrug in response, Alfie clipped Cyril's lead onto his collar and gave Charlie the leash.

As the leash was placed into Charlie's hand, a transformation seemed to come over the boy. He stood up straight, shoulders back, chin up high and led the way into the woods with a determined look in his eye. Thomas glanced over at Alfie and the two shared a grin before following Charlie. 

The two men followed the dog and the boy into the woods, pausing every few moments so Cyril could smell. The woods were tranquil today with the sporadic breeze that ruffled the leaves, creating a delicate whisper that ran through the trees. Occasionally they would hear the sound of a child yelling or an airplane but for the most part, the forest was soundless. The only objection Tommy had was the heat. It was too bloody hot to be out and Thomas would have much rather preferred to be sitting inside an air-conditioned building but Charlie had begged and begged and begged to go to the park...so here they were.

As they walked, Thomas did his best to disregard the feeling of sweat dripping down his back. "You know, I tried texting you the other day," Tommy commented to Alfie as the sticks beneath their feet cracked with every step. "Except it didn't send." Alfie lifted an eyebrow with bewilderment written on his face.

"What number did I give ye?" Pulling out his mobile, Thomas read it off to Alfie. "Ah, shit...that's my old phone number. Got a new phone 'bout two weeks ago and had to change my number." Tommy mentally out a sigh of relief.

"I was worried you were trying to ghost me or something." He admitted but before Alfie had the proper chance to reply, Charlie spoke up. 

“Alfie?” 

“Hmm?”

“Did you know that dogs have a really really really good sense of smell? Much better than ours.”

“Aye, I did know that.” Charlie pursed his lips as he watched Cyril pee before going off to sniff something else. 

“I wonder what he smells,” Charlie commented before sinking to his hands and knees, crushing his face close to the ground in an endeavor to smell whatever Cyril was smelling. Tommy opened his mouth to tell his son to stand up, that sniffing the ground was unhealthy (Lord knew what that dirt contained) but a tender hand on his arm stopped him.

When he looked, it was Alfie. “Let ‘im explore, eh? He’s at that age where he likes that shit, right?” Charlie did love to explore, that was for sure and it often got him into some sort of trouble. Once, when Charlie was around three, he had decided to go exploring without alerting anyone. While it only took Thomas about forty-five minutes to find the boy (who had fallen asleep in one of the guest rooms), it was the longest forty-five minutes of his life. 

The group proceeded on their walk with Charlie chatting a mile a minute about whatever crossed his mind...and a great many things did. He told Alfie all about the family dinner that they had gone to the week prior, going into a fair amount of detail that Alfie probably did not need to know. “Oh! Then Aunt Polly gave Daddy a stern talkin’ to, kinda like the ones I get if I do somethin’ naughty.”

“Oh?” Alfie glanced over at Thomas, a smirk tugging at Alfie's lips as he looked over at the other. Tommy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to predict what his son would say next. Thomas remembered the conversation with Polly but it had been in the library study and Charlie had not been there...

“Yeah, she said he spends too much time workin’ and not enough with me,” Charlie explained and a groan of annoyance slipped from Tommy’s lips.

“Charlie, that was a conversation between me and Aunt Pol. You shouldn’t have been listening in.” Tommy scolded his son. Charlie had the decency to look a tad guilty about this. Thankfully Alfie seemed unphased by this and began to ask Charlie about the other members of his family. As Charlie launched into a story about his cousin, Karl, Thomas permitted himself to think about the upcoming week. He would need to get in contact with May Carleton on Monday to find out how the training was coming along for Chocolate Milk, Tommy’s prized stallion. It was thanks to Charlie that this great racehorse had such a ridiculous name. He would also need to call some of his bookies and order more grain. Now...did he need to order the high-fat grain or was it the balance grain that they were running low on?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Alfie’s voice pierced through Tommy’s mental checklist and he turned to glance at Alfie. “You seem rather distracted.” Alfie explained when he saw the questioning look on the other’s face. “Not to mention you didn’t even try and stop Charlie from picking up some dog shit with his bare hands back there. And don’t worry, I stopped him before he could actually pick it up.” Thomas sighed in relief, nodding his thanks to Alfie before his eyes returned to focus on Charlie.

At some point they had reached a small clearing in the forest though Tommy did not remember actually arriving here, clearly having been zoning out for a longer period of time than he realized. Charlie was building something out of sticks with Cyril sitting near a tree, watching the young boy with mild curiosity. After a pause, Tommy took a seat under a great oak tree, patting the spot next to him for Alfie to sit. The heat had only been rising throughout their walk and the shade produced by the tree was a massive relief.

Once Alfie had settled, Thomas spoke. “I was thinking about work.” He revealed. “I’m a horse trainer, you see. Train the horses for races as well as shows. I was just thinking about what I need to get done for next week. People I need to contact, appointments, and so on. Nothing overly exciting.” Alfie leaned back, his hands resting on the thin pine needles that littered the forest floor.

“So, your aunt was right though?”

“What do you mean?”

“You work too much.” Tommy gave a faint huff, shaking his head.

“Polly doesn’t know what she’s going on about.” He retorted. “It isn’t my fault that the business takes up a lot of my time. Horses require precise attention at all hours of the day. There’s no rest.” Alfie pursed his lips for a moment, watching Charlie gingerly place a large stick against a tree.

“What does Charlie do while you’re at work for the day?” He asked then.

“Various things. He’ll spend time with my aunt or my sister and her son. Sometimes he’ll go to a friend’s house.” Tommy gave a shrug. “During the week, Polly is the one who organizes that all.” This seemed to get Alfie’s attention for he altered his gaze, now looking at Thomas. 

“You don’t know what your son does durin’ the day?” Alfie’s tone was...unclear. Did he oppose this or was it simply curosity?

“I mean, yes but no...I don’t keep track of that all. Besides he’ll tell me about it at night if he’s still awake when I get home.” 

“How often does Charlie see you?”

“It depends on work. I try to see him every night but there have been times where I’m up before he’s awake and home by the time he’s asleep. Why are you asking this all?” Alfie gave a shrug and his eyes met Tommy’s. And what elegant eyes they were...they were not one color but rather multiple mixed together, creating a soft sea green color that Thomas loved. Jesus Christ…

“I’m just curious though...I’m guessing your aunt is right that you work too much. I may not be a parent of another human but I feel like it’s rather like havin’ a dog. Cyril’s my responsibility so I gotta make time for him.” 

“This is different though!”

“How so?”

“I need to make money to support Charlie which means I have to work. I don’t want Charlie to ever have to worry about where his next meal might come from or not get a proper education.”

“Aye, but it doesn’t mean you have to work all the God damn time. What’s the point of havin’ all this money if you can’t spend a second with your son?” Thomas pursed his lips with a scowl, looking back at his son.

“You don’t understand.” Tommy grumbled as Alfie shifted his position, turning his body to face Tommy completely. 

“Then explain it to me.” Later on, Thomas had no idea why he told Alfie so much about himself. Perhaps it was because nobody had ever truly cared to ask. Perhaps it was because Tommy trusted Alfie for some bizarre reason. Whatever the cause might be, Tommy told it all. 

He told Alfie about growing up in Small Heath and about how horrible his childhood was. While Tommy did not go into detail about the abuse he suffered at the hand of his father, Alfie was able to connect the dots. Tommy told him how he had grown up mucking out stalls for his uncle and how he gradually climbed up the social ladder in the horse world before finally reaching the position he was now. His childhood had not been an easy one and there were times where nobody knew where their next meal would be coming from and they had to resort to stealing occasionally. Tommy did not want any of this happening to his son.

Ultimately Charlie came over to announce that he was bored so once more the four of them set out. Alfie was an attentive listener, seldom asking a question but for the most part, was silent and honestly listened. By the time that they had returned to the park, Thomas’ throat was raw from all the talking. Never before had he bared this much of himself to one person...

While the information that Alfie learned was not Earth shattering, it was certainly more than the average person might know.

“So, what about you then, eh?” Tommy asked as they reached the playground area in the park. “What’s your life story?” Alfie was soundless for a few moments, rubbing his beard thoughtfully with his fingers.

“You’re gonna have to find out next time, mate.” He announced then, giving Tommy a smirk. “Me and Cyril need to get going home.” Before Tommy had time to properly reply, Alfie whistled and Cyril came rushing over with Charlie behind him. As Alfie began to say goodbye to Charlie, he pulled out a pen from his pocket. Grabbing Tommy’s hand, Alfie scribbled down his phone number before he bid farewell ruffling Charlie’s hair as he left the park and headed home.

Tommy’s hand continued to tingle from Alfie’s touch long after the other had left and it did not take long before Tommy had memorized the number on his hand.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the zoo is planned and Alfie divulges a bit about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter! <3

That night after Charlie had gone to bed, Tommy sent a text to Alfie. 

_[Text] Hello.  
[Text] Tommy?  
[Text] Yes  
[Text] Ah, good, glad you got the number right this time. How’s Charlie?  
[Text] Doing well. Went to bed quietly tonight which was a pleasant surprise. He was exhausted.  
[Text] Yeah, Cyril’s passed out hardcore. What are you guys doing on Wednesday?  
[Text] I’ll be at work and Charlie will most likely be with my aunt. Why?  
[Text] Fancy going somewhere with me?_

And that was how, about a half an hour later, Thomas found himself agreeing to go to the zoo with Alfie on Wednesday. It had taken some persuading on Alfie’s end since Tommy had objected at first, announcing he had work that day but in the end, Alfie won. 

He was a persuasive man it would seem.

When Charlie was informed of this decision the next morning, naturally the boy was elated. He cherished going to the zoo and it was not often he was taken, particularly with his father. While Tommy acknowledged the zoo for what it offered to his son, the day was always long and tedious. Due to his eagerness and glee, Charlie would grapple with the rule of staying by his father's side. Sometimes they could spend five seconds at one animal and five hours at the next. Occasionally Charlie would get overwhelmed as well and the whole event would be a catastrophe.

And so, when Wednesday morning came around, Tommy found himself being woken rudely by his son poking his cheek. “Da. Da. Da.” Charlie recited over and over until his father opened up an eye to glower at his son. “We’re going to the zoo today!” Charlie proclaimed as if there was a chance that Tommy could forget. 

“What time is it, Charles?” He mumbled, blinking painstakingly in the dim light of the room. Charlie glanced at the clock on Thomas’ nightstand before announcing that it was 7:00 in the morning. Jesus Christ...They weren’t leaving until 10 and it would not take long to get there nor to get ready. Tommy had been anticipating waking up at 8, perhaps even 8:30 but it seemed this would not be an option. “Alright, I’ll get up,” Thomas assured his son, observing the boy race out of the room and presumably downstairs.

Sighing, Tommy rolled over and shut his eyes. He had been having such a nice dream too…

Tommy was almost lured into sneak a few additional minutes of sleep but then he caught the sound of a noisy crash coming from downstairs and Charlie yelling. “Oh for fuck’s sake.” Thomas moaned out loud before tossing off the covers. Tugging on a dressing gown and slippers, Tommy headed downstairs to find Charlie in the kitchen. The boy had pushed a chair over to one of the cabinets where they kept bowls and had evidently climbed up, grabbed a bowl, and dropped it. Shards of glass carpeted the floor and Charlie’s face reminded Tommy of a deer in front of headlights: large, wide eyes, frozen in its place.

Not bothering to even scold the boy (Charlie knew he had fucked up), Tommy grabbed a broom and began to sweep up the glass. Breakfast went by unobtrusively with no disasters but the next adventure came to getting Charlie dressed. The boy was old enough to get dressed by himself but today, Charlie appeared to have settled on the idea of wearing a long sleeve shirt in the middle of the summer. Things escalated rather swiftly after that. 

The scene looked something like this.

Charlie came out of his room and went into his father’s where Thomas had just finished putting up his shirt. Tommy had decided to go with an informal look, choosing to go with a pair of tan shorts, a forest green polo, and a pair of sneakers. “Charlie, you can’t wear a long sleeve shirt,” Tommy notified his son as he peeped in the mirror in front of his dresser. Christ, he needed a haircut. As he endeavored to get his hair not to be so curly, Charlie spoke.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s going to be hot today and you’re going to overheat,” Tommy answered, focusing more on his hair at the moment than his son. Could you blame him? He needed to look nice. Not just any nice but nice nice. _Nice._

“I won’t get hot.” The six-year-old boy declared after another pause.

“Charlie.”

“No.”

“Charles.” Thomas turned to look at his son and for a split second, it felt like Tommy was staring at himself when he was Charlie’s age. The expression on Charlie's face was the exact expression Tommy had worn when he was younger and had been told to do something he did not want to do. However, that passed and Tommy began to grow annoyed. “Go get changed.”

“I don’t wanna! I wanna wear this shirt!” Charlie objected, stamping his foot on the floor. “I won’t get hot!”

“Yes, you will,” Tommy stated, groaning as Charlie crossed his petite arms securely across his chest. This would only end in a tantrum. “Fine, wear the damn shirt.” Thomas snapped, giving in. Charlie’s face twisted downwards into a frown but his father’s back was to him once more. Saying nothing, Charlie left, his shoulder sinking just a tad.

They managed to leave on time and Charlie seemed back to his normal chipper self. As they got closer to the zoo, Charlie began to squirm about in his car seat, striving to peer around the seat in the front to catch a glimpse of his favorite place. And then there it was with its magnificent golden gates and the two life-size lion statues outside the gate! As Tommy parked and turned the car off, Charlie was literally quivering in his seat with anticipation.

“I wanna see the lions and the elephants and the penguins and-and the giraffes!” Charlie had been chattering non-stop about the animals he wanted to see the entire ride. Apparently, he had no intention of stopping.

“Charlie.” Tommy’s voice was firm and Charlie fell silent, knowing what that tone meant. He was going to get a lecture. “I know you’re excited and I’m glad you are but what are you not going to do?” It took Charlie a few moments before he guessed.

“Run off?”

“Exactly. I want you to hold my hand at all times unless I say otherwise. I don’t want you to run off cause you’re excited because you might get lost.” Charlie seemed to only be paying half-attention at this point so Thomas gave up. He got out and assisted Charlie out of his car seat before grabbing their day bag and locking the car.

Thomas kept a very firm grasp on his son’s hand as they navigated the parking lot. While the place was not swarming with cars as it might be on a weekend, there was still an abundance of people around. It seemed that they were not the only ones who decided to take advantage of the cloudless day.

It was while they were waiting in line to purchase tickets that Charlie spotted Alfie. “Alfie!” Charlie yelled and bolted out of his father’s grasp, rushing to the other. Alfie was ready for him though as Charlie launched himself into Alfie’s arms, wrapping his arms tightly around Alfie’s neck in a hug.

It was only his fourth time meeting Alfie but Charlie had taken quite a fancy to the man.

“Hello, Alfie,” Tommy said once Alfie joined him in line. “Glad you made it.”

“Aye, I wouldn’t miss it for the world, mate,” Alfie answered, flashing Tommy a grin before turning his attention back to Charlie. “What animal do you wanna see first, Charlie?” Tommy groaned as they moved upward in line. It would be a long day.

As they entered the zoo, Alfie handed Charlie the map and Charlie pointed out which animal he wanted to see first. The lions. “Alright, Charlie, now remember you need to hold my hand and-”

“I know, Daddy!” Charlie whined as he slipped his hand into Alfie’s rather than Tommy’s.

“Charlie, my hand, not Alfie’s.”

“Why can’t I hold his hand?”

“Because I said so."

"But I wanna hold Alfie's!"

“Charlie, you need to follow directions.” Father and son were starting to get worked up and Alfie could sense that one of them (his money was on Tommy, frankly) was about to erupt so he stepped in.

“Tommy, come on, now. I’m fine with him holding my hand and he won’t get out. I have an iron tight grip.” Alfie said, winking at Charlie who grinned, sensing that the tides were turning in his favor. Pursing his lips, Tommy glanced at his son before to Alfie then back to Charlie.

“Fine.” He muttered and Charlie gave a whoop of excitement before tugging on Alfie’s hand to lead the way to the lions with Tommy trailing behind them. As expected, Charlie was all over the place...literally. To Alfie’s credit, he seemed unfazed at being pulled around by a six-year boy. Charlie was talking a mile a minute, listing off facts that he could remember about the various animals before them. Occasionally he would ask Alfie or Tommy to read the sign in front of the cages.

The morning passed by peacefully enough with no drama, much to Tommy’s satisfaction. The only downside was that he hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Alfie without being interrupted by Charlie. Lunchtime came about and the three made their way to the cafeteria. Tommy had packed lunch for Charlie but the boy didn’t want it. “I want chicken nuggets...please!” Charlie begged as they found a table to sit at.

“I brought you lunch, Charlie,” Tommy said, pulling out a lunchbox. Inside was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple slices, and some crisps. The boy grimaced at the sight of his lunch placed out before him before shaking his head.

“I had peanut butter and jelly yesterday,” Charlie told Tommy who groaned in reply, knowing where this was heading. “Please, Daddy!” Tommy shook his head no. Charlie needed to learn to take what he was given without causing a fuss. “I don’t even like apples!” Charlie tried.

“That’s a lie and you know it.” Apple was Charlie’s favorite fruit. “Now sit and eat your lunch.” Charlie opened his mouth to reply but Alfie took his chance, speaking up.

“Now, Charlie, why don’t you want that fine-looking sandwich?” He asked, taking a seat. Charlie hesitated for a second before climbing up into the spot next to Alfie.

“Cause I had it yesterday.” He answered and Alfie nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“Hmm, that’s fair though...how do you know this one isn’t different?” When he saw the boy’s bewildered expression, Alfie went on. “See, what if this sandwich tastes different than the one you had yesterday? What if you’re passin’ up a real good sandwich for some borin’ chicken nuggets.” Charlie hadn’t thought about that. 

“I mean...maybe…” Charlie looked at the sandwich before grabbing a half and taking a bite of it. “It tastes the same.” He declared, mouth still half full.

“Finish chewing before you speak.” Tommy reminded his son.

“Hmm, alright but what if the next bite tastes different? Sometimes the first bite doesn’t have everything in it. Maybe the next bite will be better.” Alfie encouraged so Charlie took another bite before announcing that this also tasted like his previous sandwich. By some miracle though, Alfie managed to get Charlie to eat his whole sandwich. Each time he would ask the boy if the bite tasted different and Charlie continued to try out each bite in hopes that it was indeed different.

While Alfie was getting his son to eat, Tommy took out his own lunch, nibbling on some pretzels as he watched the scene play out before him. “Whatcha smilin’ at?” Charlie asked and Tommy blinked before he realized that he was indeed, smiling.

“Nothing,” Tommy answered, leaning across the table to ruffle Charlie’s hair. “Now, since you finished your sandwich like asked, perhaps we can get some ice cream?” Naturally, the answer was an ecstatic yes. 

After lunch, they took Charlie to a playground to get out some of his energy. The boy took off the second his feet were through the gate, racing straight for the climbing structure. It was one of his favorite pieces of equipment to play on. Tommy made a move to go follow him but Alfie reached out, placing a hand on Thomas’ forearm. “Let him explore,” Alfie said. “We can watch him from the bench.” Glancing over at the bench that couldn’t have been more than twenty feet away from Charlie, Tommy gave in.

For a few minutes, they sat in silence, with the sound of children’s laughter mixing in with the murmur of crowds and animals in the background. It was Alfie who broke the pleasant silence between them. “See, look how much fun he’s havin’.” Tommy scoffed. Alfie said this as though Tommy’s eyes had not been focused undividedly on his son this whole time. 

“What is it that you do for work?” Thomas asked after a pause. Alfie scratched his beard for a moment as if contemplating how to answer this question.

“Well, ye see, mate...it’s rather a long story.” 

“I have all the time in the world.” Glancing over at Tommy, Alfie flashed the other a grin that Tommy couldn’t help but return.

“Right so, I grew up in Camden Town. Lived there with me mum, dad, and younger sister. We were all an okay family. Bit dysfunctional...hell, what family ain’t? It wasn’t like we killed each other or some shit like that. Though there was my mum’s sister and Lord, I think my mum wanted to kill her sometimes. My mum though, bless her soul, she was a good woman. One of the best, honestly. Freeda was her name. Meant peace and harmony which is what she was. Always breakin’ up fights and keepin’ the peace. She loved to tell stories too. Told them all the time to Rachel and me before bed every night…” Alfie trailed off and his eyes gained a sad, faraway look in them.

“Alfie?” Thomas asked in a quiet tone, reaching out to touch the man’s arm. Alfie blinked and turned his attention back to Thomas before continuing.

“Right, anyways. Me mum died when I was eight. Mum’s death left him fucking shattered. He worked in an office, doin’ shit with taxes and whatnot. Before mum died, he would be home between five and six every night and would be around on weekends to play or go somewhere with us. After she died though, we never saw him. He was always at his office. Sometimes if he came home, it’d be at like two in the morning and he would turn to alcohol. It left me to raise Rachel on my own.” 

At this point, Alfie stopped talking for Charlie was running over to them, face red and shiny with sweat. “Daddy, I’m hot.” He complained as he skidded to a halt in front of the two men.

“Well, if you hadn’t worn the long sleeve shirt as I said, you wouldn’t be hot.” Thomas pointed out.

“Yeah...but I wanted to wear it though for Alfie!” Tommy and Alfie raised a questioning eyebrow at this so Charlie speedily went on to explain. “It’s the only orange shirt I’ve got and orange is Alfie’s favorite color! He told me so the other day when we were in the woods.” 

“Aye, and yours is blue,” Alfie recalled and Charlie nodded enthusiastically at this. “What’s yours then, Tommy?” He asked, turning to look at his companion next to him.

“My what?”

“Favorite color.”

“Oh. I don’t have one.” Charlie looked confounded by this answer, his eyebrows furrowing together with a small pout on his lips.

“How do you not have a favorite color?” He asked, eyes squinting just a tad at Tommy as if attempting to see if the man was lying. 

“I just don’t, Charlie.” 

“Really though? Everyone’s got a favorite color.” Alfie chimed in and Tommy held back a soft groan.

“Are you two teaming up on me or something?” He asked in a teasing tone as a smile began to form on his lips. Alfie and Charlie looked at each other for a moment before both answering “Yes!” at the same time. This got Thomas to laugh. It was not a chuckle or a snort. It was not a half-hearted or forced laugh. No, this was Thomas’ true laugh, a warm and joyous sound that Alfie decided then and there that he wanted to hear it more often. 

“So, what’s your favorite color?” Charlie asked in a serious tone as he climbed up onto the bench, placing himself in his father’s lap. 

“Alright...I would say...blue.” Thomas answered after a pause of thought.

“You don’t sound very sure there, mate.” Alfie pointed out and Tommy gave a half-hearted shrug before pressing a kiss to Charlie’s head.

“Come on, I’ve got a shirt you can change into.” He told his son and the three went off to the bathroom. The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur with Charlie leading the way around to the animals they had yet to see. Unfortunately, this gave Tommy and Alfie no time alone to finish their conversation from before.

Once they had finished with the animals, Tommy allowed Charlie to go into the gift shop which was, as always, a mistake. Despite having been in this gift shop a handful of times, Charlie would still get just as excited and race about from item to item, not paying attention to the people around him. Tommy however, was prepared for this and kept a firm grip on Charlie’s hand, occasionally reminding his son to slow down.

When they left, Charlie was wearing a new shirt with a lion on it and carrying a small stuffed dolphin which he had decided to name Finn cause “dolphins have fins and cause of Uncle Finn!” Alas though, it was time to part ways. “I had fun today,” Tommy admitted to Alfie as they stood at the entrance of the zoo. 

“Same here, mate.” Alfie ruffled Charlie’s hair, causing the boy to giggle. “You be good now, ye hear?” The boy nodded and threw his arms around Alfie’s waist in a hug. As he hugged Charlie back, Alfie glanced up and met Tommy’s gaze. Goosebumps erupted onto Thomas’ skin when their eyes met despite it being quite warm outside.

They finished their goodbyes and went their separate ways. It was later that night after Charlie had gone to bed, that Tommy got a text from Alfie.

_[Text] Fancy going on a date with me?_


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy replied to Alfie's text about a date and Charlie loses a tooth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter posted. I got bitten by a dog a few weeks ago and have been without my left hand for a while, making typing impossible. However, I'm back! Hopefully, you guys enjoy this chapter <3 let me know your thoughts. Your comments keep me going

Tommy stared at the message before him, eyes wide as if it was a bomb and if he blinked, it would go off. A date? With Alfie? Tommy wasn’t even sure that he liked men in that way. While there had been that time when Tommy was a teenager, that was years ago. Like...many years ago. Plus, he had been drunk.

Also, how long had it been since he had gone out on a date? He hadn’t since marrying Grace, never having the heart to try and find somebody since she had passed. It had always been Charlie and him. Nobody else. Just him and his son. But lately, it hadn’t been this way, now that Tommy thought about it. 

No, it was now Charlie, Tommy, Alfie, and Cyril. 

And Tommy kind of savored it that way. He liked Alfie. The man had a way about him that put Tommy at ease. Perhaps it was because Alfie said what was on his mind, not worrying about offending someone. Perhaps it was the stories he told that never failed to bring a smile to Tommy's lips. Alfie also had a way with Charlie, something that he admired about the other man. Charlie was an easy-going child in the sense he did not have any issues with talking to adults. If anything, it was the adults who had the issues, finding Charlie’s incessant chattering to be obnoxious (and at times it was). But not Alfie. No. That man paid attention to every word Charlie said and it was plain to see that he cared.

But what about Tommy? What were his feelings for Alfie? Honestly, Thomas could not answer that question. Worry began to gnaw in his stomach as if there was a herd of horses galloping around inside him the more he thought about it. What if this made things awkward between them? What if the date didn’t go well and Alfie didn’t want to see Charlie again? The boy would be heartbroken. 

Anxiety seeped its way into Tommy’s body and he suddenly found an invisible hand clapping down on his throat. _Fucking hell_ Tommy thought, putting his head between his legs. It was one fucking date. One date. They were both adults so this wasn’t some petty drama from his school years. 

As if being hit by a bolt of lighting, Tommy’s spine straightened and he reached for his phone, replying to the text.

_[Text: To Alfie] I would love to_

And so, plans were made to go to the local farmer’s market later that week. Tommy decided to keep this news hidden from Charlie for if the boy knew, he would want to come along. However, Charlie would need a sitter. Perhaps Thomas could ask Polly since she was coming over tomorrow to spend the day with the boy. 

The next day at work, around 1:00, Tommy got a text from his aunt, informing him that she and Charlie were at the park and that Charlie had lost a tooth while playing. A few moments later, he got a picture of Charlie and Cyril together.

Charlie was looking up at the camera with a massive grin and there was a large gaping hole in Charlie’s mouth where his left front tooth had been. Cyril was licking his face which was probably the cause for a grin that size. The photo was...well, pure. Charlie’s grin was one of genuine joy, his blue eyes dancing with life. Without thinking, Tommy set the picture as his background of his phone. A few moments later, his phone buzzed and he glanced at it.

It was from Alfie.

_[Text: From Alfie] Charlie lost a tooth just now while playing with Cyril. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it tonight. Also met your aunt, she seems quite nice. You still good for Saturday?_

_[Text: To Alfie] I’m sure it’s the only thing I’ll hear about for the next week at least. And yeah, Polly’s a good woman. Charlie’s lucky to have her. And yes, still good for Saturday._

The two texted back and forth for a little bit, setting up a time to meet at the market and a place. After saying goodbye, Tommy leaned back against his chair, rubbing his face with his hands. What was he thinking when he had said yes? Had he actually been thinking at all? God, what he would give for a cigarette right now. But alas, he had none and was going three months strong without relapsing. Couldn’t break that streak now. 

When Charlie came home that night, it was near impossible to understand what the boy was saying for he was talking too quickly from excitement. 

“Yeah, and me and Cyril were playin’ tug-o-war with a stick and I was probably winning cause I’m bigger than Cyril and then he pulled real hard and I fell down! When I got back up, my tooth had fallen out! There was a little bit of blood too but I didn’t cry or anythin’ like that.” was all that Tommy was able to get out from Charlie before the boy changed topics, pulling out some of Cyril’s fur as a present for his father. They stuck it on a piece of computer paper before placing see-through tape over the hair so it would stay. As Charlie ran off to go hang up the “picture” in his room, Polly spoke.

“That boy is in love with that dog,” She commented as Tommy began to set plates for dinner.

“I’m aware.” How could anyone miss that? 

“Owner is nice too. I think he said his name was Andrew or-”

“Alfie,” Tommy said before he could stop himself. “His name is Alfie.” With his back turned towards her, Thomas couldn’t see the smirk on his aunt’s lips. 

“Right, well, as I was saying, he’s very chatty but Charlie loves that dog so much. And Alfie too.” Polly paused, waiting to see if Tommy would reply but when he didn’t, she continued. “Is Alfie single?”

“Polly.” Tommy groaned as he set down a cup for Charlie. “I expect a comment like that from Ada, not you.” Polly gave a careless shrug. “However, in answer to your question...he is single. Are you around this Saturday?”

“I am, why?” Polly’s tone was neutral but her eyes narrowed just a tad in question.

“Would you be able to watch Charlie for me? Alfie and I are...going out together.”

“Without Charlie?”

“Without Charlie.” This time a grin did appear on Polly’s lips and she agreed right away, not even waiting to hear a time that she would be needed at. “Don’t mention it to Charlie, though,” Tommy added quickly. “If he knows, he’ll want to come along.” His aunt promised her silence but if Thomas had to guess, he would say his whole family would know by tomorrow.

After Polly left, Charlie came in for dinner. As the two ate, Charlie told Tommy about his day with Polly.

“And we went to the aquarium which was so big! Like, really big!” Charlie said, spreading his arms as wide as he could to show the size. “After that, me and aunt Polly got lunch and she let me get ice cream in the park! That was when we ran into Cyril and Alfie! Alfie was real nice and let me walk Cyril around. He said I was real strong for holding onto Cyril cause Cyril likes to pull but I didn’t let him! Then, of course, I lost my tooth!” Tommy listened with a quiet smile on his lips, eyes occasionally flickering to the family picture that hung by the sink. Instead of normally wishing that Grace was there, he found himself wishing that Alfie was there too.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the date has arrived

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thank you to MintJam and Jubilee44 for helping me <3

Saturday morning came around in the blink of an eye. Tommy was up early, far before his alarm was set to go off. Laying there in bed, he stared up at the ceiling. He was going on a date today. With a man. A man who...he might actually fancy? Christ, what had the world come to?

Ultimately realizing that sleep would not come back to him, Tommy swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. It was going to be a warm day, he assumed, glancing out of the window to see that the sun was high in the sky even though it was only 7:00. Having already planned his outfit out (Tommy had told himself it was a rational thing to do and he _totally_ wasn’t worried about how he looked) he double-checked to make sure it was the right choice.

A pair of dark blue Levi jeans with a simple white cotton shirt. And of course, his Peaky cap. 

Once he was dressed, Tommy moved into the bathroom where he was quick to brush his teeth and shave. The final thing was...his hair. Now, normally Tommy could care less about his hair. But this wasn’t normal. This was the date. And his hair was a mess. Groaning to himself, Tommy did his best to get it to behave and stay flat. Alas, his hair was not going to agree with him and he had no choice but to give up and went downstairs.

He was in the middle of brewing his morning cup of coffee when Charlie came down. The boy was an early riser and it seemed that today was no different. As they sat down for a breakfast of eggs and toast, Charlie spoke up. “Where we goin’ today, Daddy?”

“Well, actually…” Tommy said, pausing to clear his throat. “I need to do some errands so Aunt Polly’s going to be hanging with you today.” He waited, eyes searching Charlie’s face nervously. The boy loved to ask questions…

“Oh, okay,” Charlie answered with a shrug before taking a bite of his toast. Thomas let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. It seemed that he was okay. He had been worried that if Charlie had asked questions, he would want to tag along...

Polly arrived a bit later, right on time as always. As Tommy left, Polly called out “Have fun!”.

“Why would he have fun running errands?” Charlie asked as the door closed.

The drive to the farmer’s market was perhaps twenty minutes but they flew by. They were also the longest twenty minutes of Tommy’s life. As he drove, his mind continued to bring up thoughts that he had been trying to avoid for the past week. Was he betraying Grace by moving on? What if the date went poorly? How would he explain to Charlie that they wouldn’t see Alfie again? What if things did start out fine but went downhill? Then what?  
These thoughts continued to plague him as he arrived at the market and parked.

As Tommy stepped out of the car, the humid air hit him like a tidal wave. Perhaps today had been a bad day to go to the farmer’s market. Maybe today was cursed...Glancing at his watch, he had about 10-15 minutes until Alfie was supposed to arrive. Sighing, Tommy locked his car and leaned against the door to wait.

The farmer’s market was busy, which was no surprise. People milled around, their voices creating a soft hum with the occasional sound of laughter or screaming from children. A family was passing by when the child’s ice cream toppled off the cone. The little boy, who could not have been a year or two older than Charlie, burst into tears as his parents tried to remedy the situation. Tommy felt a pang of sympathy for the parents.

It would have been too much to try and bring Charlie here, Tommy decided as he watched the mum do her best to pick up the scoop of ice cream. Charlie loved fairs, yes, but crowds were not his strong point. Besides, this day was for Tommy and Alfie, right? Just thinking his name made Tommy’s stomach twist in on itself and the thoughts from the car came rushing back.

What if the date went poorly and it made things awkward? What if things went so badly that Alfie never wanted to see him again? Charlie would be as distraught as Tommy; he truly did enjoy Alfie’s companionship. What if—

Sweat began to trickle down Tommy’s neck and back, clinging to the fabric of his t-shirt and Tommy was unsure if it was from his nerves or the sun blazing down on him.

Checking his watch and seeing that only a few minutes had passed, Tommy mentally groaned before pushing himself off the car. Might as well start walking since he had nothing else to do and waiting was making him anxious. Stepping past the mother with ice cream on her hands as she tried to pick up the ice cream, Tommy headed towards the entrance of the market.

As Tommy slipped in between and around people, he found himself somewhat uncomfortable around them. These were not his sort of people. They all were dressed in the same manner of fashion. Many of the women wore ripped denim shorts with various tops on. Some were graphic tees while others were blouses. However, they all had designs on them.

Many of the men were the same. Tommy didn’t even bother trying to count the number of beanies that he saw as he walked by. A handful of the men spotted tattoos and while Tommy was not one to judge since he himself had a handful, the tattoos on these men reminded Tommy of psychedelic looking patterns.

He did not have to wait more than a minute or two before he caught sight of Alfie’s familiar face in the crowd. Without realizing it, a smile crossed Tommy’s face. “Think it’s fucking hot enough?” Alfie grumbled as he reached Thomas’s side. “It’s as hot as Satan’s fucking butthole here.” A laugh escaped Tommy’s lips as the two of them headed into the market to explore.

“How’s Charlie doing?” Alfie asked as they started to wander around, pausing here and there at numerous stalls. 

“Doin’ alright, I suppose. He knows that school is starting again soon and well, he’s not happy about that.” Tommy paused at a booth filled with photographs. “But he’s still his normal chipper self.” Glancing over the photos that were spread out on the table, he paused when his eyes caught sight of a horse. Stepping under the tent to take a better look, Tommy’s fingers brushed lightly over the horse’s mane. 

The photo was of a large, black stallion, galloping across a field, its black mane and tail flying out behind it. It was a simple black and white photo but something about it took Tommy’s breath away. It had been far too long since he had gone to the stables, let alone ridden. Raising a child was not a part-time job.

Tommy felt a body press up slightly against his back and he glanced up to see that Alfie was looking over his shoulder at the photograph. “You like it?” Alfie asked after a pause. 

“I do, yeah. Makes me miss the horses,” he admitted, eyes flickering down to the edge of the frame where a price was written. Well...never mind that. As Tommy made a move to leave, Alfie grabbed his hand and stopped him.

“How much for the horse photo?” Alfie asked the salesman. The man had been sitting in the corner and had not made a move since they had walked in. 

“It’s £50.” The man could not have been older than thirty and he was dressed, like many of the vendors around them, with a pair of tan khakis and a graphic t-shirt. This one read “Smoking Weed is My Cardio” with a giant picture of a marijuana leaf on it. 

“Fifty?” Alfie scoffed at the man. “Mate, this is worth like twenty at most.” 

“Alfie—” Tommy began but was cut off by the man with the marijuana leaf on his shirt. 

“Forty-five, that’s how low I’m willing to go.” Bargaining banter went on for a few more moments before Alfie finally got the man to agree to the price of £30. Alfie paid for the photo and once it was placed in the bag, handed it to Tommy.

“You didn’t need to do that, you know,” Tommy said, declining to take the plastic bag that was offered to him. “I can buy my own shit. I have my own job as well as my own company, not to mention that it was only—”

“Thomas.” Alfie butted in, closing the distance between them. “It’s a fucking gift. Take it and shut up.” Reaching out with his free hand, Alfie took Tommy’s left hand and pried his fingers open before placing the bag in Tommy’s grasp. The touch left Tommy’s fingers tingling. He pressed his lips together as Alfie flashed him a grin and they started off again. 

As they wandered about the market, words flowed smoothly and easily between them, though occasionally they did stray off course. 

“What’s your favorite food then?” Alfie asked as they stopped at a stand that was selling organic honey.

“I don’t really have one,” Tommy admitted as he glanced over the honeycombs before them before his eyes moved back to look at Alfie. Alfie scoffed at this answer.

“Everyone has a favorite fuckin’ food, mate.” He declared as they left the stand and began to walk again.

“Well, I don’t.” Stepping to the side, Thomas was forced to wait as a group of men passed them, taking up nearly the whole sidewalk. All of the men had some form of facial hair and as they passed Tommy, he decided that he liked Alfie’s beard much better than any of theirs. “What about you then?” He asked, going back to Alfie’s side. “What’s your favorite food?”

“Kugel,” Alfie answered instantly and went on to explain. “It’s a Jewish noodle dish. We have it in my bakery.”

“Bakery?”

“Aye, it’s how I make my living.” They stopped at a booth that was in the shade. The day had only grown warmer and Tommy was regretting wearing jeans. Sweat had soaked through his shirt and he prayed that Alfie didn’t notice. 

“Do you bake only Jewish food then?” Tommy asked as they looked at the crafts before them. A dreamcatcher caught Tommy’s eye and he paused to look at it further. It was rather small, fitting in Tommy’s hand when he picked it up. The center design was a design that rather reminded him of flower petals. Hanging down were five long strands of brown material with feathers hanging off of them. 

There was something about the dreamcatcher that Tommy liked. Where would he put it though? Why would he even need it? Pressing his lips together, Tommy placed it back down on the table and moved back to stand at Alfie’s side while the man examined a few rope bracelets. 

“We have other food but for the most part yeah, it’s Jewish stuff. You and Charlie should come by sometime. I have a feeling the little guy would get a thrill out of baking.” Alfie said, glancing over at Thomas. 

“He would love it.” Thomas agreed as he reached out to examine a bracelet made of string. As his hand moved, Alfie’s moved as well and they brushed hands. “I would like it too, I think,” Tommy added after a pause.

“Perfect.” Tommy didn’t need to look to know that Alfie was grinning.

The conversation stayed on food as they found themselves in the food area of the market.

“Are you hungry?” Alfie asked as their wandering led them to a table with a variety of food spread across it. It seemed that this woman had baked every possible dessert imaginable. She had cakes, biscuits, puddings, fudges, pies...it went on and on. Many of the foods had stickers on them, identifying them as vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. 

“How the hell can you make a cake that’s vegan?” Tommy scoffed as he stared down at a chocolate cake before him. “People these days are so over-sensitive with their food. It’s fucking ridiculous. I swear, everyone’s allergic to something just because it’s cool.” He glanced over at Alfie, who just gave a small shrug but said nothing. “Anyways, no, I’m not hungry though I could fancy a cup of coffee.”

“Coffee sounds good,” Alfie agreed and the two left to hunt some down. A few booths away, they found a man selling “fresh, organic, vegan coffee!” as he called out. “Do you think he knows that coffee is normally vegan?” Tommy asked after they had finished paying for their cups and went off to a side table to add sugar and milk.

“Aye, he probably does but it makes it appeals to this sort of crowd,” Alfie replied as he grabbed some milk from a container labeled “milk” and poured it in. 

“Hmm, I wouldn’t know...don’t really know this sort of crowd,” Tommy answered as he poured sugar into his coffee before adding a bit of milk. 

“What crowd do you fit into then?” Alfie asked as he placed the cover of his coffee back on securely. 

“I’m not sure,” Tommy admitted as they started walking again, slipping in between people here and there. “Oi, watch it.” He snapped as a man bumped into him but the hipster paid him no attention. “It’s something I’ve never really thought about. Never had a reason to.” He said, pressing himself close to Alfie’s arm so they did not get separated.

“What about with Charlie though? He must have friends too.”

“I mean, yes, he does, but Grace was the one who got along with the parents more than I did. Often they annoyed me...then after Grace died, they all just gave me pitying glances and talked about me behind my back,” he scoffed. “They thought I didn’t know but how could I not?” Tommy shook his head as he glanced over at Alfie. “What about you though? Is this your sort of...crowd?”

Alfie did not answer at first, taking a few large sips of his coffee as he considered his answer. “The baking part is sort of my crowd,” he began. “Seeing how that’s my craft after all but—” Alfie never finished his sentence. His face lost all color and his cup fell to the ground, splashing coffee everywhere.

“Al—” Tommy didn’t even have time to fully finish his sentence before Alfie took off back the way they had come like prey running from a predator. Racing after him, Tommy was able to catch a glimpse of Alfie running into one of the cafes that lined the street. Slowing down to a halt, Tommy stared at the building before him.

What the fuck happened?

Alfie was gone for about ten minutes or so. Tommy had texted and called him but had received no reply. By that point, Tommy was ready to storm into the bathroom himself to find Alfie, but the man came out, looking paler than before. “Alfie, what the fuck was that about?” Tommy asked with a frown as Alfie rejoined him.

“I’m sorry, I need to go,” was the only explanation he got. “I’ll text you later.” And with that, Alfie gave Tommy’s hand a quick squeeze and rushed off in the direction of the car park.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy deals with the aftermath of the date and Charlie eats a massive cupcake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thanks to MintJam and Jubilee44 for reading this over and helping me!

After Alfie had disappeared into the crowd, Thomas stood there, stunned. What the fuck had just happened…? Things had been going fine, had they not? There had been no awkward pauses or uncomfortable moments. Least none that Tommy could think of. Alfie had just reappeared, apologized, and then was gone in the blink of an eye. Glancing around in some sort of attempt to find the man proved fruitless. Licking his parched lips, he found himself with no other option but to head back to his car.

The walk seemed to take forever and it was as if the heat had slowed movement around him. Hardly paying attention to the people now, Tommy pushed through groups of laughing friends, his eyes focused on the path before him. Why had Alfie felt the need to rush into a cafe? Why had he been gone for so long? Tommy had been unable to see where he had gone because the crowds were too thick to see properly. Alfie had not come out with any food in hand…

Today could not get any worse. 

As he reached the car-park, Tommy’s steps slowed as he passed a rubbish bin. Glancing down at the plastic bag that was still wrapped around his wrist, he hesitated a moment before walking past it. Once he reached his car, he threw the picture into the back and turned the air conditioning to high. Nothing happened. Frowning, he began to fiddle with the various buttons but no air was coming out.

The day just got worse.

Driving home, a battle raged within Thomas’ mind. His thoughts kept drifting back to the date and to Alfie. Confusion was soon replaced by anger. He deserved some sort of explanation for Christ’s sake. The thought of texting or calling Alfie did cross his mind but he shoved those thoughts away. If Alfie wanted to be mysterious, fine. Tommy would not play his game. Alfie would have to be to the one to reach out first, Tommy decided as he pulled into the driveway.

Leaving the picture in the back of the car, he hurried inside, breathing a sigh of relief as he stepped out of the sun and into the shade of the house. He scarcely had a moment to breathe before he was attacked with a hug by Charlie. The boy was talking fast, too fast for Tommy to make out what he was saying. He tried to get in a few words but the boy kept going. “Charlie!” Thomas yelled, having no other option. Thankfully, it worked and Charlie fell quiet. “You need to slow down,” he instructed his son. 

Thankfully, Polly came around the corner, stopping at the entrance, watching the two. “C’mon Charlie, let’s go clean up the blocks and let your father take a shower.” Charlie went without a fight, giving Tommy the chance to go upstairs and clean up. Polly stayed for dinner that night and Tommy could tell from his aunt’s constant glances that she was trying to read how the date had gone. She received no information, much to her displeasure. Right before leaving, Polly asked him a final time how the day had gone. “Goodnight, Pol,” was all she received.

A day passed and Tommy did not hear from Alfie. Another day passed and he was relieved to go to the office; it kept his thoughts on work and nothing else. Anytime that Alfie did pop into his thoughts, Tommy would force him back out. Sometimes work did the trick. Other times a cigarette. His family tried to intervene but nobody knew quite what was going on. John and Arthur tried to get Tommy to talk about what was bothering him but all they received were yells and threats. 

Charlie did not fare well either. While the boy was used to having an absent father, he was not used to being yelled at so often. When he had asked when they would next see Alfie, Tommy had lost it completely, yelling at Charlie until he was red in the face. The next day, Tommy did apologize but the damage was done. 

At the end of the second day, when Tommy came home, it was close to two in the morning. Polly had agreed to stay with the boy and had fallen asleep on the couch. Making his way up to his room, Tommy turned on the light and nearly had a heart attack. Charlie was curled up under blankets with just the tip of his head poking out. Sighing wearily, Tommy rubbed his face before making his way to Charlie, gently shaking the boy when he reached him. 

“Dada?” Charlie asked after a few moments, his eyes flickering open slowly.

“Charlie, you need to sleep in your own bed,” Tommy told his son in a soft voice. There was something about how Charlie looked at that moment that hurt Tommy’s heart. Perhaps it was Charlie’s blonde hair that looked ruffled or maybe it was those green eyes that reminded him so much of Grace. 

“But I like your bed,” the boy mumbled in response before pressing his face into the pillow in a feeble attempt to keep the light from reaching his eyes. As Tommy debated what to do, Charlie turned over again to look at his father. “Are you gonna die?” he asked out of the blue. Eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, Thomas stared at his son for a long pause before shaking his head no. “Cause I heard Aunt Polly talkin’ to someone today ‘bout you... she said you were workin’ yourself to death.”

“It’s an expression, Charlie...just means I’m working hard, perhaps a bit too much. That’s all. Now, c’mon, time to go to bed.” Picking up the small boy in his arms, Tommy carried him to his room and tucked him in. Charlie was asleep the instant his head touched the pillow.

It was day three without a word from Alfie that the thought of reaching out to him crossed Thomas’s mind again, but he refused to let himself consider it. Alfie had been the one to rush off, not him. If Alfie wanted to continue their relationship, he would have to be the one to get in touch.

The day went as normally as any day did for Thomas Shelby. He yelled at some people, made some phone calls, and yelled a bit more. Being kept busy during the day helped keep his mind focused, so focused in fact that he forgot about his son until Ada called.

His meeting had ended later than planned and, while Tommy was packing up his things, he noticed that he had twenty texts and ten missed calls from Ada. He had forgotten that Charlie’s nanny had to leave at five. Glancing at the time, another curse slipped from his lips as he texted Ada, saying he would be home within twenty minutes.

Tommy pulled into the driveway as the clock in the car turned to seven. As he walked up the steps to the house, he could hear the sound of yelling and laughter coming from within. Opening the front door, he went in and had hardly set his things down before Karl and Charlie rounded the corner. 

“Daddy!”

“Uncle Tommy!” The children crashed into Tommy, knocking him back against the wall. 

“Oi, boys, off him,” Ada ordered, coming around the corner. “Go back to your legos.” For a second, Charlie hesitated but then raced after his cousin to another room. “So, what’s the excuse this time?” Ada asked as Tommy moved past her and into the kitchen.

“A meeting ran late,” he answered as he grabbed himself a glass for water. Ada had made dinner for the boys; it looked like mac and cheese based on the pot that was now soaking in the sink.

“Did it now?” she said.

Tommy groaned and turned around, leaning against the counter.

“Yes, Ada, the meeting ran late! I forgot about his nanny leaving early.” Ignoring the daggers Ada was staring at him with, Tommy took a sip of water.

“Who is this Alfie fellow then?” Ada asked, catching Tommy by surprise, so much so that the water went down the wrong pipe and he began to hack. How the hell did she know about Alfie? Polly was the only one. Had she been the one to tell? He would kill his aunt if that was the case. Once the coughing subsided and Tommy’s throat felt raw, he cleared it a few times before speaking.

“I don’t know what-”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Tom! If it’s nothing, then why the hell did you just choke on your water?” Ada planted herself on a chair, staring her brother down. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on. And don’t go blaming Polly for this. I overheard Charlie telling Karl about him earlier.” Tommy’s mind raced, trying to come up with some feasible response, but for once his mind failed him.

“About a month ago, Charlie and I were at the park and we met—well Charlie ran up to Alfie and his dog. And Charlie being Charlie instantly became attached to the dog. We started meeting them regularly then and…” Tommy trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. 

“And…?”

“Well...things sort of...developed in unexpected ways.”

“So he asked you out?”

“Yes.”

“And it didn’t go well?” 

Tommy nodded.

“Yeah, he ran into a cafe out of the blue and then the second he came out, he apologized and then just disappeared in the crowd. Vanished. And well, I haven’t heard from him since.” Giving a shrug, Thomas turned around to put his glass in the dishwasher. “It’s whatever.”

“I don’t think it’s a whatever sort of thing, Tommy.” The chair scraped against the wooden floor as Ada got up and went to her brother’s side. “Have you tried to contact him?”

“No.”

“And why not?” 

“He was the one who ran away, not me.” Ada rolled her eyes, letting out a huff and muttered something under her breath that sounded something quite like “men.” 

“Well, what if something happened to make him leave at such a short notice?” Ada tried again but Tommy refused to reply. “Perhaps he wasn’t feeling well?”

“He was feeling fine earlier. Look, Ada, drop it.” Perhaps it was the icy tone in his voice that silenced Ada for a few minutes. Just when Tommy thought she had dropped the subject, she brought it right back up. 

“Perhaps you should ask him what happened?” Ada suggested after a pause. “Find out what happened. If he ditched you because he’s a dick then you’ll know. But what if there’s a proper explanation?” Her sea-green eyes met her brother’s icy glare but unlike other people who would look away if met with a look that harsh, Ada kept her gaze set firmly on Tommy. Finally, it was Tommy who looked away and seeing that he had no other option, finally spoke.

“What if this is his way of telling me to fuck off, eh? What if...what if he thinks the whole thing was some big arse mistake and doesn’t want to see me? What am I going to tell Charlie? That boy loves Cyril and Alfie already. He’ll be gutted if he can’t see them again.” This had been his biggest worry about going on a date and it seemed that the worries were coming true. “I should never have gone on that fucking date with him. I was such a fucking idiot! Things were fine beforehand too. I should’ve just left it at that and—” 

“Did you have fun?” Ada asked abruptly, cutting her brother off.

“Ada, that’s not—”

“Answer me, Tommy. Did you have fun?” After a moment of hesitation, Tommy nodded silently. “Good, then you’re just being a stupid dick by not at least finding out what—”

It was Tommy’s turn to interrupt her.

“Ada, stop!” His voice was sharp like the knives that hung up in the kitchen. “This was clearly all one big fuck up, alright? And besides, it’s just easier for everyone. Won’t have to try and explain this all to Charlie...and he won’t think I’m trying to replace his mum or something.” Glancing over at Ada, Tommy rubbed his chin wearily, letting out a heavy sigh. “Did you feel like you were….betraying Freddy or somethin’ when you started seeing Jessie?” 

Ada considered his question for a few moments, before giving a small shrug. “I did, a bit, yeah. It was like...I was worried I would forget him or something. But I knew Freddie and he would’ve wanted me to move on. Hell, he probably would have been thrilled when Jessie and I got together, seeing how her political views line up so well with his. But anyway, that’s not the point. The point is I think Grace would have wanted you to be happy, no matter who it was with. Being alone and sad is not good for you and it’s certainly not good for Charlie.” Tommy gave a shrug but Ada knew the topic still weighed heavily on his mind.

Glancing at the time, Tommy saw it was drawing near 8:00. “I need to get Charlie to bed.” He informed his sister who nodded in agreement. Ada went to collect Karl, giving Tommy a few moments to compose himself. After Ada and Karl bid their farewells, he took his son upstairs to get ready for bed. 

“Today, Nancy took me to the library! We found some really cool books on dinosaurs and trains and dogs!” Charlie announced as they went up the stairs. “The dog ones are new and I was the first person to check them out. The librarian told me so. I wanna read one of the books tonight.” They reached the bathroom and Charlie led the way in. “Then we went to Sweetum’s and Nancy let me get a really big cupcake!”

“How big?” 

Charlie thought for a moment before opening hands about as wide as his face. Tommy had a feeling the boy was exaggerating. 

“It was chocolate with vanilla frostin’ and sprinkles.” Charlie stepped up onto the small stool at the bathroom sink, grabbing his toothbrush and paste. Tommy watched with a sigh as his son grabbed the tube of toothpaste and proceeded to put far too much on.

“We can read a book tonight but it can’t be a long book.” He told Charlie, grabbing a tissue from the counter, wiping off the excess toothpaste before Charlie began to brush his teeth. As he brushed, the boy continued his chatter though Thomas could hardly understand what he was saying. The day was beginning to catch up to him as well and Tommy found himself zoning out.

“We went to the park cause I wanted to see if Alfie was there and—” At the mention of Alfie, Tommy suddenly found himself paying attention. 

“Where were you?” he asked.

“The park! But Alfie wasn’t there. We did see a lotta dogs though. There was this really, really, small one that looked kinda like a rat but it was still cute.” As Charlie finished brushing his teeth and began to get changed into his pyjamas, Tommy’s mind refused to leave the subject of Alfie. Even when they were reading one of Charlie’s books, one of the dogs looked a lot like Cyril. Charlie thought so too and quickly lost interest in the book after that, only wanting to talk about Alfie. “I miss him a lot, Daddy,” Charlie commented as Tommy tucked him into bed after they had finished reading the book.

“I know you do.” Tommy pressed a kiss to Charlie’s head. I miss him too he thought as he left the room. 

Going to his own room, Tommy flicked on the lights, grimacing at the sudden brightness. With a quick flip, he turned the overhead lights off and went instead to a lamp next to the bed. Never before had his bed seemed so enticing. The bed gave a soft groan as he collapsed onto it, staring up at the white ceiling above him. Christ, what was he supposed to do? Like Charlie, he did miss Alfie quite a lot. 

He missed Alfie’s rambles, something he never thought he would even remotely miss. There was something about him that always seemed to put Tommy at ease. Perhaps it was Alfie’s easy-going manner or his carefree personality. But Christ, he missed him.

He missed the way Alfie’s lips would pull upwards in that goofy grin he sometimes got when Charlie would be babbling about this and the way his eyes would light up like Christmas lights when talking passionately about someone. Closing his eyes, Tommy pictured Alfie’s face as best he could, but it felt like he was trying to grasp at a cloud. Whenever his mind came close to perfecting the image, it would slip through his fingers. 

All that scraggly hair on Alfie’s face reminded Tommy of a bear. Perhaps Alfie was a bear since he was large and hairy... no, that wasn’t fitting. Maybe it was a dog...but what breed? As Tommy thought, his eyes stayed closed and he was almost asleep when his phone buzzed loudly in his trouser pocket, startling him awake. With a groan, he opened his eyes, blinking wearily at the sudden brightness. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with the palm of one hand, using the other to pull out his mobile and glance at the screen.

_[Text: From Alfie]: Hey, are you up?_

“Speak of the Devil,” Thomas grumbled as he stared at the screen until it went black. Should he answer it? Or should he make Alfie wait just like he’d been forced to do? You would reach out to him if you really cared Ada’s voice said inside Tommy’s head. Fuck his sister for being right all the goddamn time. Sighing, Tommy texted back a reply.

_[Text: To Alfie]: Yes_

_[Text: From Alfie:] Aye, thought so. How’s Charlie doing?_

_[Text: To Alfie]: He’s fine_

_[Text: From Alfie] Ah, glad to hear that. Cyril misses that boy a lot, I think. Damn dog gets attached so quickly._

Tommy didn’t text back. Was Alfie going to pretend that nothing had happened? That things were all fine and dandy between them? Alfie sent another text about a minute later.

_[Text: From Alfie] I should probably explain what happened the other day_

_[Text: To Alfie] No shit_

_[Text: From Alfie] Oi, it wasn’t my fault. Don’t blame me for the crazy healthfood nuts_

_[Text: To Alfie] What are you talking about?_

_[Text: From Alfie] The health nuts, mate._

_[Text: From Alfie] Messing about with basic food like milk._

_[Text: To Alfie]: Is there a point to this story or are you just trying to waste my time again?_

_[Text: From Alfie] Ah right, yeah, point. The other day, when we got coffee, I put milk in mine without thinking about it. See, I’m mildly lactose intolerant. Normal milk in small amounts doesn’t hurt me but the milk that they used was raw. Untreated. Straight from the fucking cow.,Like I was punched in the gut by a tonne of bricks then run over by a truck or something. Hence why I had to leave all a sudden._

_[Text: To Alfie] Why didn’t you tell me?_

Tommy watched as the little bubbles appeared on his screen, indicating that Alfie was preparing a reply, only to stop a few moments later. This was the pattern for the next few minutes before he finally got a reply.

_[Text: From Alfie] I didn’t think about the milk situation. Sort of just slipped my mind. And for like a day afterward, I really did feel like shit. Basically did nothing but watch shitty telly and walk Cyril. And I didn’t reach out to you because...well, it’s kind of stupid but you made a comment how everyone is allergic to something because it’s cool. I didn’t want you to think I was a woose, making up an allergy or something as a way to get out of seeing you again. Which I do want to do, by the way._

Staring at the words before him, Tommy couldn’t help but shake his head. For fuck’s sake. What the hell had Alfie been thinking? He didn’t strike Tommy as the sort of person to make up something like an allergy to get out of an unpleasant situation. Still, he was rather relieved that Alfie still wanted to see him.

_[Text: To Alfie] You do know how ridiculous this is, right?_

_[Text: From Alfie] Still willing to see me then?_

Thomas replied without hesitation.

_[Text: To Alfie] Yes_

And so, they made plans for the next day to get together at Alfie’s bakery. That night, Tommy fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

The next morning when Tommy told Charlie that they would be going to Alfie’s bakery, it seemed like Christmas had come early for the boy. Unable to sit still, Charlie was racing circles around his father all morning, asking every few minutes how much longer until they left. Tommy was trying to get a few calls placed before they left and having a six-year-old running into his office every few minutes was making this task impossible. Finally, he lost it and told Charlie that if he asked one more time, they would not be going. 

That got Charlie to shut up.

Alfie’s bakery proved to be rather close to their house but with the traffic, it took quite a while. Charlie chattered the entire time, listing off everything he wanted to tell Alfie. It reminded Tommy of their trip to the zoo and how on the drive there, Charlie never once stopped talking. It also reminded him of a trip that they took to the countryside where again, Charlie did not stop talking. There was a theme here.

Pulling into the parking lot of the bakery, Tommy got out and went to Charlie’s side. “Best behavior now, alright?” he told the boy as he helped unbuckle his car seat.

“I promise,” Charlie said in a quite serious tone and then crossed his heart as if to prove how dedicated he was. Taking his son’s hand in his, Thomas led the way to the bakery. It was a small place — two wide windows with a door in between. Outside, there was an overhanging, providing shade to anyone who wished to sit on the benches in front of the windows. “Eema’s Bakery” the sign read over the front door as they went in.

A bell tinkled as they went in and Charlie gasped as he spotted Cyril laying on the floor near a table, sound asleep. Without waiting, the boy was off in a heartbeat to greet his best friend. The place was empty, Tommy noticed, and he wondered if Alfie had done that on purpose. There was a collection of tables and chairs scattered about but the main attraction was the massive display of assorted bread, cakes, cookies, pies, and more. Tommy went over to take a closer look.

While there were some basic foods such as cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies, there were others that were unfamiliar to him. While Tommy knew of Challah, he had never tried any. He had to admit that the golden loaf of braided bread did look delicious. Another was chocolate babka which looked like some sort of chocolate bread and then there were sufganiyot which reminded him of a donut but without the hole in the middle.

“ALFIE!” Charlie shrieked, making his father wince and look away from the delightful desserts. Alfie had appeared in the doorway that presumably led to the kitchen. He looked the same as always, with the addition of a flour-covered apron. Charlie couldn’t care less about the flour, probably not even realizing it was there, as he threw himself into Alfie’s arms. Alfie was ready and caught the boy with ease, giving him a massive hug. The boy began to talk, trying to catch Alfie up on everything he had missed in the last few days. Nobody could keep up with him and Tommy had to remind his son to slow down.

Charlie told Alfie all about the past few days, describing his adventure to the movies with his nanny to see the newest Disney movie and then yesterday, how he’d got a cupcake that was “this huge!” Charlie stretched his arms out as wide as he could to show Alfie just massive the cupcake was. He also mentioned how Tommy had been rather...absent at home the past few days and how Aunt Ada had to come over to babysit when his nanny had to leave and his father wasn’t home.

At that part, Alfie glanced over at Tommy who suddenly found the wall to be quite fascinating.

Charlie bombarded Alfie with questions about his bakery. Who else worked there? What was the name of the place? Could he have some of the sweets he saw earlier? As always, the questions were answered with patience.

“I have two other people who come in and help me throughout the week.” He began to explain. “An old friend of mine, Ollie, helps to take care of customers and such. Mrs. Banai comes in every other day to help with the baking. I’m sure you’ll meet them soon enough. As for the name, eema, pronounced ee-ma, means mother. My mum loved to bake so I thought it was fitting to name the bakery after her. And yes, you can have as many sweets as your dad says.”

Finally, once Charlie was done with everything, Alfie shifted the boy onto his hip. “Well, what do you say to helping me make some bread?” Charlie’s eyes grew wide with excitement and he nodded so furiously that Thomas swore his head would come off from the force. Motioning them to follow, Alfie led the way into the kitchen.

The kitchen was simple, with a large oven in one corner and a large fridge in the other. All around them were various baking supplies and it seemed that each had their own special spot in the kitchen. In the middle were four granite counters, shining from the bright overhead lights. 

“Right, go wash your hands,” Alfie instructed, setting Charlie down and motioning the boy towards the sink. Tommy kept his eyes on Charlie as Alfie approached him. “Look, Tommy…” Alfie’s tone was quiet and apologetic. “What I did, it was fucked up. Not the right move. But if you wanted, I’d fancy going on another date.” Tommy allowed his eyes to be drawn away from his son and focused on the man before him.

“I would like that,” he admitted after a pause, unable to stop a small smile from appearing on his lips. “One request though.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t have any lactose on the date.”

“It’s a deal.” The two men grinned at each other and Thomas suddenly found himself with a strong desire, no, need, to kiss Alfie. He held back though, not wanting to overstep any sort of boundary. Besides, the relationship had started off a bit rocky and he didn’t want to make it even worse.

“All done!” Charlie called, racing over to where the two men stood. 

“Right, perfect!” Alfie flashed Tommy a quick grin before turning his attention to Charlie. “So, I did some of the dough yesterday, since you need to let it sit in the fridge for a while but, I need your help still for the even harder part!” And so, the three of them spent the afternoon making bread together. Charlie enjoyed himself immensely and even Tommy, who had no interest in baking, found himself enjoying the time.

Perhaps holding Alfie’s hand when Charlie wasn’t looking helped a bit.


End file.
